The March equinox– likewise called the vernal equinox– is the huge start of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere. Seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere where it will be fall, also known as fall. These simultaneous seasons will occur March 20, 2022, at 15:33 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) or 10:33 a.m. CDT (Central Daylight Time).
Credit: NASA/Space Place
The Sun will pass straight above the equator, bringing nearly equal amounts of day and night on all parts of Earth. At the equator, an equinox leads to about 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.
Solstices and equinoxes are triggered by Earths tilt on its axis and the nonstop motion it has while orbiting the Sun. Consider them like occasions taking place as our world make its journey around the Sun.
North of the equator, the March equinox will likewise bring us earlier dawns, later on sundowns, softer winds, and budding plants. With the reversed season, those south of the equator will experience later sunrises, earlier sunsets, chillier winds, and dry, falling leaves.
If youre in the Northern Hemisphere, view the Sun as it sets just a bit farther north on the horizon each night up until the June solstice– when the Sun reverses instructions, moving back to the south. Also, get outdoors to delight in the warmer weather and extended daytime!
Happy March equinox, Earthlings!
An illustration of the March (spring) and September (fall or autumn) equinoxes. During the equinoxes, both hemispheres receive nearly equivalent amounts of daylight. The March equinox– likewise called the vernal equinox– is the huge beginning of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere. These synchronised seasons will happen March 20, 2022, at 15:33 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) or 10:33 a.m. CDT (Central Daylight Time).
An illustration of the March (spring) and September (fall or autumn) equinoxes. Throughout the equinoxes, both hemispheres get nearly equivalent amounts of daylight. (Image not to scale.) Credit: NASA/GSFC/Genna Duberstein
March Equinox Welcomes Astronomical Spring
Did you understand our planet has two kinds of seasons? They are huge and meteorological. Whats the distinction?
” Meteorological seasons” follow the altering of the calendar, month to month, and are based upon the annual temperature cycle– seasonal temperature variations customized by fluctuations in the amount of solar radiation gotten by Earths surface area over the course of a year. For circumstances, the meteorological season of spring begins each year on March 1 and will end on May 31.
Nevertheless, “astronomical” seasons occur due to the fact that of the tilt of Earths axis (with respect to the Sun-Earth plane), and our planets position throughout its orbit around the Sun.
By Lance D. Davis, NASA
March 19, 2022